Charting the internet pop world one blog post at a time.

There’s lots of movement on the new chart, plus five debuts, three of which are Canadian, which constitutes a mini-takeover 😛 The top of the chart pretty much stays put as other newer songs get closer.

The Top 10

The top of the chart is still grooving to old school Chicago-styled house as mixed with contemporary electronic pop. It’s once again “Need Your Heart”, brought to you by Australia-based UK producer Latchmere from his EP Lovedrunk. Zooming in on the Top 10 is another song from the EP “Monster”, featuring Aussie female vocalist Dylan, zipping up the chart 18-11.

Shoffy’s thoughtful-with-a-beat “Flags” (featuring) looks like it will give “Need Your Heart” the most competition at #1, as the single from his debut self-titled album climbs 5-3.

The unbridled energy and attitude of “No Hands” sends it into the Top 5 for the collaboration of producers it’s different and Forever MC, and lethal vocal combo of blackbear and MAX. It’s too bad the song has never seen official release but is still available as a free download.

Making its presence known in the Top 10 for the first time is “Wake Up To The Night” by Miami’s Alyx Ander featuring The Voice top ten contestant and songwriter Caroline Pennell, rising 11-6.

US/UK duo Culpriit also move up within the Top 10 with “Driveway” climbing 10-7.

The new cool word is “splish”. Miguel and Travis Scott claim #8 with “Sky Walker” from the upcoming War & Leisure album. Miguel also nabs one of the five debuts further down…

The Thrill Of It All is a beautiful follow up to In The Lonely Hour, a completely different kind of album where the best songs are the ones you won’t hear on the radio, aside of course from “Too Good At Goodbyes”, which moves up 13-9. You’ll find Sam’s duet with star-on-the-rise YEBBA at #23 with “No Peace”.

Movin’ On Up

We have more MAX in his pairing with SAINT WKND on “Survive” rising 19-13 in a fierce PLS&TY remix that totally gets the vibe of the song.

Dutch duo The Him look to get to the Top 10 quickly with “Everybody Hurts”, a free download for you featuring Australian singer Ivy Adara, which soars 24-15.

A second entry for producer/songwriter Frank Pierce jumps 25-17, “Do Me” featuring vocalist Miles B. You won’t be able to sit still with the buoyant rhythm of this one. Frank still sits pretty at #4 with pals Nick Peters and Scott Vega with “No Love In Brooklyn”.

The fastest riser on the chart is from the aforementioned British singer YEBBA (aka Abbey Smith) with her debut single “Evergreen” rocketing up the chart 29-18. Patiently waiting for more news about YEBBA!

The high point of Tiësto’s Club Life Vol. 5 – China album comes early on with Toronto’s own Dzeko scoring with potent cover of Seal’s 90’s hit “Crazy” in a Tiësto Big Room mix, which charges on to the chart at #21. Tiësto has appeared numerous times on this chart, the last time with his remix of “Let You Go” by The Chainsmokers and Great Good Fine OK in 2015. Dzeko has only had one prior appearance, but it was a doozy – a #1 in 2016 with buddy Luis Torres as well as Sweden’s Hellberg with “Care For Me”, my #2 song of last year.

It’s Miguel again at #27 with “Pineapple Skies”, which revels in the music of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder so much that it’s just plain joyful!

Song #2 on the chart for Toronto’s Loud Luxury premieres at #28 with new vocalist Brando in the irresistible “Body” (this time for Armada). The duo has had two #1’s this year with “Fill Me In” (with Ryan Shepherd) and “Show Me” (with Nikki’s Wives) – will “Body” be next?

It immediately got under my skin when I first heard it two weeks ago, so Swiss/South African producer/DJ Nora En Pure’s “Tears In Your Eyes” arrives on the chart at #29.

A third Torontonian bows on the chart this week, and it is indeed the previously mentioned Ryan Shepherd, whose amazing new slice of deep house “Right Now” (featuring Dirty Hary) bows at #30.

View the full BILLCS Top 30right here, and be sure to click on the photos to hear all of the songs.

Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! Click on this link to take you there, and follow me on Spotify:BILLCS Top 30 Songs

In edition #521 of the chart, you’ll be seeing double in some cases as a couple of performers already on the chart get debuts, plus there’s a new #1 that’s been winding its way patiently up the chart 🙂

The Top 10

L.A.’s Mahalo along with his go-to singer Cat Lewis get their first collective #1 with the gritty deep house of “Perfect”. It’s a real producing feat as Mahalo manipulates Cat’s voice to sound like there are multiple vocalists, and I particularly enjoy the segue at the beginning from high register to distorted low vocal.

Lauv’s “I Like Me Better” has generated a full blown tour with stops in most major cities through the start of the new year, with dates already selling out. Damn. I guess a lot of other folks like this guy. “I Like Me Better” holds at #3.

It looks like Latchmere’s “Need Your Heart” (above) has its eye on the top spot as it zips into the Top 5 at #4. It’s from his diverse mainly house-oriented EP Lovedrunk. The Australia-based producer also has the highest debut on the chart as the Hallowe’en appropriate “Monster” (below) arrives at #22 featuring a fabulous vocal by a female Aussie singer named Dylan.

Continuing with double-duty carried over from the last chart, Carlos Nóbrega’s “You (It’s All About You)” (above) surges 10-7, while another song from The Art Of Making Love, “Free” (below), a duet more-or-less with Spanish vocalist JVEL, climbs 27-21.

The audio equivalent of a great big warm hug, “We Won’t Leave You” by Steve Void partnering with Syence, moves up 11-9.

While I’m glad it’s still available as a free download, “No Hands” by the incredible collaboration of producers it’s different and Forever MC with fantastic vocals by blackbear and MAX really deserves an official release on iTunes and Spotify. It bounds to #10 from #18. MAX is featured on one of the three debuts too!

Movin’ On Up

The fastest riser on the chart is flying high at #11. Moving up from #20 is “Flags” by L.A.’s Shoffy featuring singer Yuna, a beautiful pairing with a solid message perfect for our time. It’s from Shoffy’s excellent self-titled debut album.

A Remixes EP – featuring Tom & Collins, Parx, and Limits – is now out for Bobby Nourmand’s “MIND” featuring DOC & Goodmorning, which moves up a notch 13-12.

It looks like a hit, and sounds like a hit. Maybe there’s some 70’s AM radio influences buried deep inside of “Hit Rewind” but regardless Axel Mansoor and Louis Vivet take it 26-19 on the chart.

Two remaining debuts

Did you say MAX again? The recent release of “Survive” by yet another L.A. based producer, SAINT WKND also features such potent vocals by our MAX that it bows at #24 in its PLS&TY remix. I’m definitely excited to see MAX in concert again this coming Wednesday 😀

The remaining debut has been around for a few months but I can’t get its riveting bassline out of my head when played loud on my stereo. It’s “Murder” by Dutch producer/DJ Lady Bee featuring Tropkillaz and the fabulous vocal of Oktavian, who got to #2 on the chart last year featured in The Him’s “Balance”. “Murder” premieres at #26.

View the full BILLCS Top 30right here, and be sure to click on the photos to hear all of the songs.

Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! Click on this link to take you there, and follow me on Spotify:BILLCS Top 30 Songs

The rhythm’s gonna getcha on “Murder”, the latest by rising Dutch producer Lady Bee. The collaboration with Brazil’s own Tropkillaz arose at last year’s ADE, and they took it to L.A.-based Dutchman Oktavian for his own special vocal vibes, which you’ll recall well from last year’s “Balance” by The Him. So the results are nothing short of terrific – Oktavian takes command over a super tight Lady Bee and Tropkillaz creation, and if the melodic hook sounds a tad familiar, then think Katy Perry’s “Swish Swish” slowed down a couple of notches. Brought to you by Trap City and Spinnin’, “Murder” is a compelling dance floor filler that sizzles.

Trying to find time to write everything I want is always an issue. I present to you my Top 86 Songs of 2016, with this blog post based on the radio program which aired on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day onhttp://www.planetradio.ca 🙂 Here’s my commentary on my Top 30 Songs with the complete list following. Links to my Top 10 Songs are featured further down…

#30: Brandyn Burnette’s “Made Of Dreams”, the title song from his first EP, and the first of four songs by or featuring him on this year end list. The song was greatly enhanced by a feel-good tropical mix from Chicago remix duo Win & Woo collaborating with Kiso Armic, also from Chicago.

#29 – L.A.-based singer/songwriter Simon Curtis with “Super Psycho Love” from his album Super 8bit Heart, first of two songs from that album in this list. That album was a 2016 reimagining of Simon’s 2010 free online mixtape still available from his website called 8bit Heart, which to me is one of the most endearing recordings of the decade. “Super Psycho Love” benefited most from an update and appeared on my chart for the first time.

#28 – courtesy of Canadian duo Young Bombs, who also have two remixes in my list. They brought the bounce to a fine record out of Norway from a young newcomer named Jesper Jenset called “High”.

#27 – belonging to Canadian brothers Chris and Alex from Orangeville Ontario – DVBBS! They’ve been on this list before (in 2015 and 2014), but this year they included Toronto’s Dante Leon on vocal for the toe-tapper “Angel”.

#26 – a taste of 80’s flavoured funk courtesy of NYC producer/remixer Jenaux with the rollicking original “Get It On”. Jenaux also partnered with Texas duo Tritonal for the song “Broken” (#45), and has another remix in this list.

#25 – more Canadians 🙂 with a creative and funky remix by Chicago’s Snøwmass of a song by Montreal production duo Sterling Grove who are paired with Toronto pop/jazz vocalist Ellyn Woods for the mysterious “Sound Of Home”.

#24 – one of the most provocative and surprising albums of 2016 was Blue Neighbourhood by South Africa-born, Australia-based singer Troye Sivan, who had a world-wide following on You Tube before making records. It consists of beautifully crafted, poignant songs which meant a lot particularly to many teens, and scored the Top 20 hit “Youth”. I dove deeper into the album for the evocative “Talk Me Down”. My bigger list also includes “Wild” (#35) and “Fools” (#40), all BILLCS Top 30 Top 10 songs.

#23 – belongs to California duo Mako with their dance radio hit “Smoke Filled Room”. As remixed by Elephante, who appears two more times in this list, “Smoke Filled Room” set the stage for a crush of a now-grown up woman.

#22 – on the rise in 2016 was L.A. producer and singer Mi Disguise (aka Louie Garcia), and with his pal Rouse created a wonderful dance mix EP called NGHT LFE for summer clubbing. Their song “Her And Him” is an inspiring song for late night romance.

#21 – the song I liked best on Adele’s album 25 next to last year’s “Hello”, “All I Ask” is another knockout performance and stood out from the rest of the songs on the album.

#20 – if there was any song in 2016 that would instantly make you feel good it’s one by veteran producer Tony Moran and singer Jason Walker and his amazing range. “So Happy” was a deserved #1 Billboard club hit.

#19 – I was wowed by MAX when I saw him perform in October 2015, and since then he has been a steady presence on the BILLCS Top 30. Singer and actor Max Schneider brought us a full album called Hell’s Kitchen Angel. The album contained a sweet ballad called “Lights Down Low”, but it was the smashing uptempo remix by L.A. duo Two Friends that took it to new heights. It’s the first of two in this list by MAX.

#18 – producer/remixer Tim Wu calls himself Elephante and from his EP I Am The Elephante recorded “Plans” featuring BILLCS favourite Brandyn Burnette on vocals, and I hope the pair will repeat this collaboration soon.

#17 – back and as grand as ever in 2016 was the classic dance duo Pet Shop Boys from their album Super with the lead off single “The Pop Kids”, which got club goers out onto the dance floor in the Spring.

#16 – a very distinct song that found its way out of its native Norway to become a worldwide pop and dance club hit. Featuring a unique vocal by a singer named Iselin Solheim, it’s “Faded” by newcomer Alan Walker.

#15 – Dutch duo The Him released an irresistible deep house club hit “Balance”, which features L.A. based Dutch singer/songwriter Oktavian. Watch for more great music from The Him in 2017 as they wrapped up the year opening for The Chainsmokers on their European tour.

#14 – one of the most poignant songs of 2016 is based on a coincidence of real-life events of loss, by Brandyn Burnette called “Lost” from his EP Made Of Dreams. Brandyn auditioned for American Idol at the top of the year and took a risk by performing this original, which the judges loved, though Brandyn chose not to continue on the show. “Lost” is the third of four songs in the Top 30 by or featuring Brandyn.

#13 – preceding Hell’s Kitchen Angel in 2016 was MAX’s EP Wrong. The title song is a hip hop flavoured rave up featuring rapper Lil Uzi Vert who scored with his own album and songs in 2016 as well. A BILLCS Top 30 #1.

#12 – featuring an incredible gritty vocal by American singer Brayton Bowman is “Shy” by Belgian producer The Magician, who released “Shy” and songs by others in 2016 on his own label Potion Records. Watch for more of this incredible music from The Magician and his stable of artists in 2017. A BILLCS Top 30 #1.

#11 – “Kiss The Sky” by NYC duo The Knocks featuring none other than The Fugees’ Wyclef Jean on vocals. The Knocks created a grand party when I saw their show in January, proving themselves to be slick entertainers as well as producers. Their album 55 continued the dance party, and they found themselves opening for Justin Bieber on his European tour in the latter part of 2016. “Kiss The Sky” is sheer dance music escapism at its best. A BILLCS Top 30 #1.

#10 – the third entry on the list by Elephante is “Closer”, which became his signature song after being heard in many remixes which included worthy ones by the likes of producers Aash Mehta and Speaker Of The House. The vocalist on “Closer” is Portland, Oregon’s Bishøp and it’s one of the best of 2016.

#9 – “Dreamin’” by British producer/remixer Embody featuring fellow Brit vocalist Camden Cox. It’s somewhat hard to believe that the song that could transport you most to a hot beach party in 2016 was brought to us from two talented Brits. “Dreamin’” is 2016’s best tropical mix.

Songs 8 through 1 all were BILLCS Top 30 #1’s 🙂

#8 – belonging to my fellow Canadian The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, and Abel grew up not far from where I grew up, but in a community of 90’s Ethiopean immigrants, which makes his success all the more formidable. The Weeknd collaborated with the award-winning French duo Daft Punk for “Starboy”, from the diverse album of the same name, which also gave him his first Billboard #1 hit.

#7 – Brandyn Burnette has his final song of 4 in the Top 30 (and 8 on the full list, plus one by his duo Cosmos & Creature with his gal Molly Moore) from his special EP Made Of Dreams with “Nothing At All”. It’s a sparse production that brings out the progressive soul vibe of the song, which made the Made Of Dreams EP all the more listenable. Brandyn’s putting finishing touches on his third release due in January.

#6 – one of the most emotional songs of the year, the second one on the list called “Lost”, this one by British Columbia native Connor Phillips. In its original version, the song is a short acoustic ballad, but Canadian remix duo Young Bombs once again gave their redux an extra wow factor by washing it in enough synths to make your eyes wet. If you find yourself wanting to hug someone, blame it on the power of music.

free download:

#5 – the second song from Super 8bit Heart on this list is “8bit Heart”, a personal favourite of mine from 2010 that was redone for 2016. “8bit Heart” is a song like none other to me, it’s a song full of love and heart that totally captivated me 6 years ago in its original version, and was my #4 song of that year. Simon kept it real in 2016 and made the redux of “8bit Heart” the lead companion song for his book Boy Robot.

#4 – released in late July, it was hard to believe that “Closer” by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey would become one of the biggest hits of the decade, with 12 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Chainsmokers, who are the NYC duo of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, appeared on my list last year but more than any act in 2016 outdid themselves with their relentless performing and recording schedules. But the best of it all, is that they remained truly down-to-earth and supportive of other breaking acts in the dance community. “Closer” resonated with me too.

#3 – this song really kicked a funky butt into the proceedings in 2016, being the song that followed The Chainsmokers’ “Closer” at #1 on my regular chart of the BILLCS Top 30. It’s “Native Son Prequel” by producer/remixer Gramatik featuring London-born American vocalist Leo Napier. It’s a song told from the perspective of a pimp, and aside from that odd story angle, NYC remixer Jenaux gave it a spirited 70’s funk flavour that could only make you think of the character Huggy Bear from TV’s Starsky & Hutch 😛

#2 – Toronto duo Dzeko & Torres collaborated with Sweden’s Hellberg for their free download release of “Care For Me”, which is my #2 song of 2016. While the performers may have considered “Care For Me” to be a great free promotional vehicle for their music in 2016, it was in fact a fabulous arrangement featuring an uncredited vocal, whose lyrics also struck an emotional nerve with me. Dzeko & Torres have since decided to pursue other efforts, with Julian Dzeko continuing to record while Luis Torres ventures into the production side of things, and I’m glad I caught their show in Toronto in April. Jon Hellberg on the other hand featured prominently on the BILLCS Top 30 in 2016 with both “Synchronize” and “All The Way”.

#1 – my favourite song of 2016 was brought to my attention courtesy of an excellent innovative remix, one of the best of the year, by relative newcomers EDWYNN x TIKAL (also known as Swedes Thor Lundberg and Leonard Palmberg) and Spirix (who is American producer/remixer Devain Doolaramini). The song is “So Bad” by L.A. singer/songwriter Brandon Skeie, who didn’t release more than a handful of songs in 2016 but is set out to conquer 2017. A protege of Semi-Precious Weapons frontman and noted songwriter Justin Tranter, who co-wrote Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” and Fall Out Boy’s “Centuries” among others, Brandon has an amazing high register, which helped send “So Bad” into the history books for me. It’s one of the best songs ever about longing for someone who you may or may not get to have in your life.

Just after the New Year, the BILLCS Top 30 will reach its 500th chart! Now I suppose if I had been posting it weekly it would be well over 1,000 editions by now. In this edition, there are so many hot new songs that several get caught in a mid-chart log jam while others continue to flourish near the top. And don’t discount the four new songs that arrive either!

The Top 10

“Closer” by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey will always be a hard act to follow now that it’s one of the biggest hits of 2016. So that’s all the more reason why Alex and Drew should release another single! Below you can hear “All We Know” featuring Phoebe Ryan.

(free download!)Both “Native Son Prequel” by Gramatik featuring Leo Napier in a Jenaux remix (holding at #2) and “Balance” by The Him featuring Oktavian (up 6 to 3) are positioning themselves nicely to succeed “Closer” at the top. But which one will do it, or will something else beat them to it? Aussie teen Joe Mason is already scoring on this chart with his remix of “Elevated” by RKCB at #13, but check out his remix of “Balance” below (free download!).

MAX gets his second Top 5 hit on this chart with the Two Friends remix of “Lights Down Low”, which vaults 9 to 5. And if you missed my blog post on his new project called Party Pupils, with their cover of OutKast’s “Ms Jackson”, you can check it out right here.

The remixes keep arriving for “Rainbows” by Victor Perry, which continues to advance 8 to 7. Check out Zewmøb’s bright and funky remix below (free download!).

I’m very happy that two EDM acts that continue to break out happen to land in my Top 10 at the same time. Tritonal’s “Broken” (with Jenaux and featuring Adam Lambert, above) climbs 12-9 and “False Alarm” by Matoma featuring Becky Hill (below) moves up 13-10. Matoma put on a heckuva show on September 23 in Toronto , where the audience was very drawn to the variety in his set… imagine what he could do with a stadium-sized audience! Tritonal has their turn coming up in my city on October 14 🙂

Movin’ On Up

The fastest riser on the chart this week belongs to young Norwegian singer Jesper Jenset whose wickedly catchy “High” scores in a Young Bombs remix, climbing 22-15 ahead of some pretty fierce competition!

Also making a key move on the chart this week is Steve James collaboration with duo RKCB on “In My Head”, which like “High” has a drop that’s hard to beat. “In My Head” moves up 20-16.

Rihanna’s “Love On The Brain” advances 21-19 but fear not, it’s just caught in that log jam of great new songs and should break loose in two weeks.

Liquid Diet’s “Luminary” from the trio’s debut album Double Life rises 24-20, while they’ve released a hilarious and raucous NSFW video to their song “My C**t” (below) – if you’ve seen something like it before, think less wild and Austin Mahone (also below) 😉

Rod Thomas, aka Bright Light Bright Light, has now proven three times that he can make great albums and not just great singles. Each of his albums has excellent deeper tracks, and in particular those are the ones that register with me more on Choreography. His collaboration with Scissor Sisters’ Ana Matronic “I Only Want To Please You” is up 26-21.

“Just A Dream” is a dark, hallucinogenic feast for the ears by Molly Moore and featuring Brandyn Burnette in one of their best vocal pairings yet. Culled from Molly’s upcoming EP Now You See Me, “Just A Dream” climbs 27-22.

And They Keep On Comin’ … Four Debuts

Arriving at #23, why it’s Brandyn Burnette again (four times in this chart 😀 ), this time fronting Elephante’s song “Plans” from the I Am The Elephante EP. “Plans” shows incredible versatility from both performers, just when you think there’s not another side that can be showcased, here it is! Just a beautiful song, too.

If it didn’t get you from first listen – for shame! My fellow Torontonian The Weeknd surprised everyone with the immediate release of “Starboy”, featuring none other than Daft Punk, and then its compelling video. It should be topping charts everywhere in the next two weeks, and bows here at #24.

L.A. quintet Satchmode write some pretty interesting songs, and one of them, “Undertow” was recently remixed by NYC brothers Anden, which got it featured on Tiesto’s Club Life mix. Anden gives it a late night cruising-down-PCH feel to it, and it premieres at #27! My original post about it is right here. It’s a free download too!

One of the most inauspicious instrumentals of 2016 received a winning remix this summer, which got it to #1 on the Hype Machine charts. The song is “Vague” by Fabian Luttenberger, as remixed by none other than Saxity’s talented Stan Sax – so yes, do listen for the highlight that is the saxophone break! “Vague” is one sultry affair that will be stuck in your head for days (check out my original post right here), and is new to the chart at #28. It’s another free download!

View the full BILLCS Top 30right here, and be sure to click on the photos to hear all of the songs.

Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! Click on this link to take you there, and follow me on Spotify: BILLCS Top 30 Songs

Listen for me with my Pick of the Week at 2:20/6:20/10:20 AM/PM EST onhttp://www.planetradio.ca most days Monday through Sunday, and my flashbacks to a Toronto Top 10 of yesteryear Tuesday evenings at 9pm EST

It’s STILL summer folks and there’s plenty of great dance music driving us through till Fall in a few weeks 🙂

The Top 10

“Shy” by The Magician featuring Brayton Bowman stays on top for a second appearance, and if not for #2 it might have a longer reign at #1…

Despite all of the very good remixes and covers I’ve heard, I still love the original and “Closer” by The Chainsmokers and Halsey advances 7-2. The song now credits two members of The Fray as co-writers due to similarities between “Closer” and the group’s 2006 hit “Over My Head (Cable Car)”. That song was also a BILLCS Top 30 #1 back in the day… I really can only hear them slightly after it was brought to my attention, but better to settle now than years later. The Chainsmokers meanwhile are working on their album, but I don’t think we’ll see it till 2017.

One of the best deep house songs around for clubs is deserving of some extended remixes. It’s the all-too-brief “Balance” by The Him featuring Oktavian, which soars 15-8. This one is also pop radio-ready!

The fastest riser on the chart belongs to Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez with “We Don’t Talk Anymore”, which rockets 19-10. It’s also available in a fun new unofficial remix courtesy of L.A. producer The Wookie.

Movin’ On Up

Victor Perry’s gorgeous song about heartbreak “Rainbows” continues to climb 17-13. It’s from his EP 4 AM Nostalgia, and I still hear some remixes are coming 🙂

I still have money on this song breaking out even to radio, but definitely clubs and dance music radio should be all over “Broken” by Tritonal and Jenaux featuring Adam Lambert, which moves 23-18.

Moving 25-19 is a remix that is really a redux – transforming a beautiful ballad into a late night party anthem. Such is the case with Two Friends’ remix of “Lights Down Low” by MAX.

Right behind is what should be the North American breakout for Sweden’s Matoma featuring the UK’s Becky Hill on “False Alarm”, which climbs 26-20. It’s also now available in a super Steve Void remix 🙂

Debuts

Toronto’s Chet Porter really mixes it up with all of the subtleties and melodic changes in his new song “Stay”, featuring Chelsea Cutler on vocals. That makes it a song that stands out as a centrepiece in a set, and it arrives at #24.

Bebe Rexha’s vocal on “In The Name Of Love” grabs you with its intensity, and it helps make her pairing with 20 year old Martin Garrix something special. It bows at #25, and becomes Martin’s fourth chart entry here following two #1’s, “Animals” and “Proxy”, as well as the #3 collaboration “Gold Skies” with Sander van Doorn and DVBBS.

When Brandyn Burnette songs are on my chart, they multiply fast – so now it’s three, following #7 “Worship” and #15 “State I’m In”. Producer Sean Turk reimagined “Closer” in a crunchy EDM mix, and the result is even better than the original from the State I’m In EP. “Closer” debuts at #26 and the remix is a free download.

The fourth debut belongs to L.A. producer Steve James with “In My Head”, which features the slick ‘n soulful vocals of duo RKCB, who are also at #16 with the Joe Mason remix of “Elevated”. Besides those voices, there is a drop that slays every time and “In My Head” premieres at #28.

View the full BILLCS Top 30right here, and be sure to click on the photos to hear all of the songs.

Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! Click on this link to take you there, and follow me on Spotify:BILLCS Top 30 Songs

http://www.planetradio.cais back! Listen for my Pick of the Week at 2:20/6:20/10:20 AM/PM EST most days Monday through Sunday, and my flashbacks to a Toronto Top 10 of yesteryear return this Tuesday evening at 9pm EST

The world of EDM/Dance moves so quickly, so much that at times it seems like too much of a revolving door of very high quality songs. With the influx of this genre in my chart over the last year, it slows down the pace for some of the songs to be showcased on the chart for up to 10 appearances (20 weeks). So while some of the performers have gone on to record other songs since, these are all of my current favourites, EDM/Dance or otherwise, and there’s a new #1 and a high-flying debut in the Top 10 🙂

The Top 10

“Shy” in its Club mix by The Magician featuring vocalist Brayton Bowman takes over from Brandon Skeie at #1. “Shy” is a barnstorming dance floor filler with a really invested and soulful vocal, one of my favourite songs of 2016 so far!

Soaring into the Top 5 at #4 from #10 is “Her And Him” by L.A.’s Mi Disguise & Rouse, a really cinematic song for a late night highway drive. It comes from the pair’s excellent mixtape called NGHT LFE.

Ariana Grande’s “Into You” becomes her greatest success on this chart as it moves to #6. Also do check out the different and highly complimentary Wookie Vegas remix above.

I didn’t like it enough for it to debut two weeks ago, but since then I’ve grown incredibly fond of “Closer” by The Chainsmokers and Halsey, so much that I’d call it the End of Summer Song for 2016. It’s this chart’s highest debut at #7. It’s really genuine and romantic in a “Reality Bites” kind of way, if you know what I mean 🙂 It will be as much a dance floor draw as for listening.

Three more songs make their Top 10 debuts. No stranger to this part of the chart is Brandyn Burnette from his State I’m In EP with “Worship” (above) rising to #8. NYC’s Electric Bodega featuring vocalist Matt Beilis climb 15-9 with the incredibly infectious “Rest Of My Life”. And the Jenaux remix of the ultra cool “Native Son Prequel” by Gramatik featuring singer Leo Napier soars 17-10. Both of the latter are below.

Movin’ On Up

You wouldn’t necessarily expect to find singer/actor Jesse McCartney on an EDM record but Built By Titan uses his voice to great effect on “Dangerous” which moves up a notch to #13.

It should really have been the follow up to “Don’t Let Me Down”, but nonetheless “Inside Out” by The Chainsmokers featuring Charlee has now become a companion song to “Closer”, on this chart anyway 🙂 It jumps 20-14.

The fastest riser on the chart belongs to a short but busy deep house track called “Balance” by The Him featuring vocalist Oktavian. The Him are popping up in high places now with remixes… watch out for more from them. “Balance” vaults 25-15.

Atlanta singer/Victor Perry continues to advance 22-17 with his gracious ode to love that could have been called “Rainbows” from his EP 4 AM Nostalgia. I hear that a remix of “Rainbows” is coming soon 🙂

I think “We Don’t Talk Anymore” by Charlie Puth and Selena Gomez is going to be a long-lasting hit through September. It moves up 26-19 in its DROELOE remix.

Vocal duo RKCB have great voices as evidenced on “Elevated”, which rises 27-20 in its Joe Mason remix. The duo was also recently featured on Steve James’ “In My Head” to great effect.

3 More Debuts

It didn’t take long for it to become one of my favourites about to soar, but the beautiful “Broken” by Austin duo Tritonal along with NYC’s Jenaux and featuring none other than Adam Lambert quickly bows at #23. That makes it three chart appearances for Jenaux – #10, #11, and #23 😀 And the song follows two Top 10 songs from Adam’s last album The Original High, “Ghost Town” (#4) and “The Light” (#9).

I know MAX Schneider fans may be soaking in the richness of the original ballad, but L.A.’s Two Friends really transformed “Lights Down Low” into a dance floor rave up. One of the best parts of the song is the simple chorus with some added vocal effects which enhance rather than detract. Anyway this collaboration between MAX and one of my favourite remix teams – who I hear have a remix of my #7 song on deck this week – lands at #25 not long out of the gate. It’s MAX’s third entry on this chart, following #1 “Wrong” and #6 “Ms Anonymous”.

The final debut this week belongs to a song that should by all rights be a worldwide hit. Sweden’s Matoma meets UK’s Becky Hill for “False Alarm” which arrives at #26.

Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! Click on this link to take you there, and follow me on Spotify:BILLCS Top 30 Songs

http://www.planetradio.cais back! Listen for my Pick of the Week at 2:20/6:20/10:20 AM/PM EST most days Monday through Sunday, and my flashbacks to a Toronto Top 10 of yesteryear return this Tuesday evening at 9pm EST

This is a condensed NYC-holiday based blog post coming at you with the new chart 🙂

The Top 10

Brandon Skeie’s “So Bad” (in original or EDWYNN x TIKAL and Spirix remix) stays on top for a 4th appearance (8 weeks) and certainly appears to be my song of the summer as well as one of the best of the year so far.

Bounding in to steal the top away from “So Bad” in two weeks is “Shy” by The Magician featuring Brayton Bowman. It soars up the chart 19-2 as the fastest riser. Find the Club mix of this one if you can!

Now based in L.A., Spirix gets his second song in the Top 5 in a pairing with LZRD and vocalist Remmi for the emotional “Take Me Apart”, which climbs 8-5.

Ariana Grande’s “Into You” matches the #8 peak 3 years ago of “The Way”, so let’s see if it goes higher in two weeks. Helping make that a possibility is the delightful, recent arpeggio-laden remix by L.A.’s The Wookie.

The only other new entry to the Top 10 rises 18-10, some NGHT LFE romance called “Her And Him” courtesy of Mi Disguise and Rouse’s mixtape. It becomes Mi Disguise’s 2nd Top Tenner following 2014’s “East Side Bay”.

Also Rising

The song that’s resonating most with me from the State I’m In EP by Brandyn Burnette is “Worship”, which rises 17-11. The title song is also on the move too, up 22-18.

“Rest Of My Life” by Electric Bodega featuring Matt Beilis gets stuck in your head way too easily. I’m often humming it long after it’s ended, and it climbs 23-15.

Equally memorable but for different reasons – such as a funky remix by Jenaux and a sly vocal singing cool lyrics, is “Native Son Prequel” by Gramatik featuring Leo Napier, which moves up 25-17.

Don’t y’all worry ’bout their new single “Closer”, with Halsey, it should arrive on the chart in two weeks as it continues to grow on me amid fierce competition… in the meantime should-have-been-second-single “Inside Out” by The Chainsmokers featuring Charlee, jumps 26-20.

New Atlanta singer Victor Perry brings on his unique soulful charm on his song “Rainbows” from the EP 4 A.M. Nostalgia. It moves up 27-22.

New to the Chart

The common theme with this chart’s debuts is that songs with great vocals won out this time!

If you’re looking for an early 90’s influenced house track with a fierce vocal, then get to know “Born Ready” in its Halogen radio edit by The Disco Fries featuring UK singer Hope Murphy. It arrives at #24.

Another bouncy house track of a different, darker nature premieres at #25 – it’s “Balance” by The Him featuring Oktavian.

Charlie Puth returns to this chart courtesy of an engaging remix by The Netherlands’ DROELOE with “We Don’t Talk Anymore”, his duet with Selena Gomez, who has never appeared on this chart previously. It debuts at #26, and follows Charlie’s previous entries of “Marvin Gaye” (#7) and “See You Again” (#16).

The final new arrival is “Elevated” by rising L.A. duo RKCB, which has been remixed by many folks lately but none better to my ears than by young Australian producer Joe Mason. “Elevated” debuts at #27.

In lieu of the published prettier web version of the chart, here’s the basic chart until I post the full one later in the week 🙂

Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! Click on this link to take you there, and follow me on Spotify: BILLCS Top 30 Songs

http://www.planetradio.ca is back! Listen for my Pick of the Week at 2:20/6:20/10:20 AM/PM EST most days Monday through Sunday, and my flashbacks to a Toronto Top 10 of yesteryear will be heard on Wednesday evening at 9pm EST

“Balance” is a supurb, effortless slice of bouncy deep house with tropical delights added for good measure, courtesy of Dutch duo The Him (aka Jeroen and Steven), and featuring silky smooth R&B vocals by L.A.-based fellow Dutchman Oktavian.

It almost goes by too fast – 2:47 is wicked tight and makes you want an extended version. “Balance” will throw down nicely in a mid-evening set when you want to see your audience at their peak energy. And you won’t be able to get enough of all of the goodness going on, from the honest vocal through to the well-knit electronics. The Him proudly have had all of Tiësto, Martin Garrix, Pete Tong, and The Chainsmokers in their corner, so the writing is on the wall: “Balance” is one of 2016’s summer club bangers to remember. Listen above or check it out on Spotify.